Gymnastic apparatus



June 15, 1965 P. W. DODGE GYMNASTIC APPARATUS Filed March 12. 1963 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 01 3,189,347 GYMNASTIC APPARATUS Peter William Dodge, 11 W. 74th St, New York, N.Y. Filed Mar. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 264,668 2 Claims. (Cl. 272-81) This invention relates to an exercising frame on which a person may exercise. It is an object of this invention to provide a mechanism which can be set up in any suitable place with great ease and which makes possible the exercise of a maximum number of the muscles of the body. The device is in fact the equivalent of most of the apparatus customarily found in a gymnasium, but in a form that may be easily set up or removed at will.

The device comprises a frame on which the more important exercising devices may be set up for use, but from which they may easily be removed and put away.

The invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 shows the frame work set up to support a horizontal bar at any height convenient for the user. FIG. 2 shows how the frame work may be used with a horizontal bar having weights on its ends that may be raised and manipulated in the usual ways. The frame is also adapted to support suitable pins or a cross bar on which a plank may rest, so that the operator, while lying on his back upon said plank, may utilize the apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings the base of the device comprises two legs and 11 joined together at an angle by a connector 13 which also supports a vertical post 12 of greater height than the user of the device. Each of the legs 10 and 11 has an intermediate connector 14-15 for supporting a third vertical post 16-17. The posts 16-17 are attached at their tops to a cross bar comprising two equal parts 18 and 1821 joined together by a T-connector a.

The post 12 is connected at its top to a bar 20 by a connector 19 at one end and is connected to a connector 20a at the other end.

This framework as thus described comprises the rigid framework of the existing device.

The purpose of this framework is to furnish support for the various bars or pulleys or other exercising devices which may be held rigidly in place without the need of being attached to the walls or the room.

In the device as shown in FIG. 1 slidable sleeves 21 and 22 are carried upon the vertical posts 16-17 which sleeves have also horizontal sockets 25-26 in which an exercising bar 27 may be inserted. The height of the sleeves on the vertical posts is determined by pins 23-24 on which the sleeves 2122 may rest. Thus the horizontal bar 27 may be supported at any height desired.

3,38%,34'7 Eatented June 15, 1965 In the use of the device as shown .in FIG. 2 a horizontal bar 30 may be carried by the sockets 25 and 26, on the outside face of posts 16 and 17, the sockets being vertically slidable on the posts.

The horizontal bar 30 has a weight 3'11 attached to each end beyond the sockets. A sleeve 34 which embraces the middle portion of bar 30' is connected by aharness 32 to a cord 33 which in turn is carried through pulleys 28 and 29* upon the bar 211 to a handle 35, so that by pulling the handle down the weights 31 may be raised.

It will be clear that the framework of the device when assembled as to shown may also be used as a support for any other wall type of exerciser desired without any need to attach it to a wall or to the ceiling. Moreover, the device can be completely disassembled for packing, storage or transportation.

The basic feature of the device will be seen to be the rigid frame which while resting on the floor gives rigid support either overhead or laterally, without the need of disfiguring the floors, walls or ceiling by attaching fixtures.

What is claimed:

1. An exerciser comprising a pair of base bars connected together at one end, said bars being spread to form an open triangle in which a user may stand, the bottom surface of said bars being in a common plane adapted to engage a supporting surface, a pair of lateral vertical posts having their bottom ends rigidly attached respectively to a mid point on said base bars providing a space between them, said vertical posts extending substantially above the head of the user, a first upper bar comprising a cross bar rigidly connecting the tops of said vertical posts, a third vertical post having its bottom end attached to and extending up from the apex of the said triangle of a height equal to said lateral posts, a second upper bar comprising a bracing bar rigidly conmeeting the top of said apex post to a mid point on said cross bars, and exercising apparatus connected to at least one of the said upper bars.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said exercising apparatus is mounted on said bracing bars.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 411,701 9/89 Wilson 248--97 1,972,654 9/ 34 Heath 248-43 FOREIGN PATENTS 456,790 3/28 Germany. 9,748 11/08 France. 738,579 12/32 France.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primmy Examiner. 

1. AN EXCISER COMPRISING A PAIR OF BASE BARS CONNECTED TOGETHER AT ONE END, SAID BARS BEING SPACED TO FORM AN OPEN TRIANGLE IN WHICH A USER MAY STAND, THE BOTTOM OF SAID BARS BEING IN A COMMONN PLANE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A SUPPORTING SURFACE, A PAIR OF LATERAL VERTICAL POSTS HAVING THEIR BOTTOM ENDS RIGIDLY ATTACHED RESPECTIVELY TO A MID POINT ON SAID BASE BARS PROVIDING A SPACE BETWEEN THEM, SAID VERTICAL POSTS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE HEAD OF THE USER, A FIRST UPPER BAR COMPRISING A CROSS BAR RIDIGLY CONNECTING THE TOPS OF SAID VERTICAL POSTS, A THIRD VERTICAL POST HAVING ITS BOTTOM END ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING UP FROM THE APEX ON THE SAME TRIANGLE OF A HEIGHT EQUAL TO SAID LATERAL POSTS, A SECOND UPPER BAR COMPRISING A BRACING BAR RIGIDLY CONNECTING THE TOP OF SAID APEX POST TO A MID POINT ON SAID CROSS BARS, AND EXERCISING APPATATUS CONNECTED TO AT LEAST ONE OF THE UPPER BARS. 